


Welcome To Sunrise Cafe

by Auroras5tar



Series: Sunrise Adventures [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Barista!Hongjoong, Café, Fluff, Flustered Hongjoong, Hongjoong also paints, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Set-up Getting Together, Smooth talker Seonghwa, Yeosang and San ditch Hongjoong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:20:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23382226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auroras5tar/pseuds/Auroras5tar
Summary: Hongjoong's friends talked about him to their not mutual friend, Seonghwa, a lot. Then, Seonghwa visits Hongjoong's cafe to see for himself.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Side Kang Yeosang/Song Mingi, side Choi San/Jung Wooyoung
Series: Sunrise Adventures [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759372
Comments: 14
Kudos: 194





	Welcome To Sunrise Cafe

**Author's Note:**

> For my irl friend, H. I hope this helps your Barista Hongjoong obsession.
> 
> If you have anything you want to see, I can take requests through twt, curiouscat, or comments.

The Sunrise Cafe was teeming with life daily via quiet murmurs and warm bodies, the tables mostly full all week. The cafe wasn’t always so alive, vibrant with different personalities gathered in one space. Hongjoong could remember how bland the cafe could be not too long after he dropped out from college when he had just opened the cafe. 

He had only managed to trudge through a year and a half of studies before he realized that burying himself in books and homework wasn’t him. That was when he decided to use the money his parents had set aside for college to lease a building suitable for a cafe and all the permits instead. He even enlisted his close friend, Yeosang, for help. Yeosang had gone into a business degree, so he helped more with that aspect of the cafe while Hongjoong focused on the interior design.

Hongjoong had wanted the cafe to have a cute yet homey feel to draw in so many customers, and he succeeded. After only the first year and a half, he had found that college students often came to do homework and projects as well as meet up with friends since Yeosang had advised him to start a cafe close to the university they went to. He was glad he listened because he could barely imagine how things would have been otherwise.

~*~

It was on a bustling Wednesday afternoon when Hongjoong first met him, the cafe almost full. The male stood out instantly with an intimidatingly blank face that contrasted majorly with the soft cream sweater he wore, half tucked into black skinny jeans with black Vans on his feet and his black hair cascading over his forehead in soft, fluffy waves. Hongjoong was working the front register alone with Yeosang and San baking and washing dishes in the back, so when the guy stepped up to order, he was the one to take it. 

Now Hongjoong prided himself on staying unbiased with judgments, but the guy’s blank countenance resembled more of a resting bitch face waiting to be unleashed than someone just hiding his emotions, so he would admit that he was a little bit nervous and intimidated as the two stared at each other for a few heartbeats. Hongjoong blinked before he glanced back at the register as he spoke.

“Welcome to Sunrise Cafe. How may I help you?”

“Can I get a cafe mocha and one of those colorful...slices of cake?”

Oh… He had such a calming voice. Soft, deep...ish, and warm. Hongjoong felt like he could just drown himself in it.

“Ah. You mean a slice of the Aurora cake? Yep. Can I get your name for the order?”

“Seonghwa.”

Hongjoong nodded, tapping away at the register and then told Seonghwa his total. Once Seonghwa paid and went to sit down, Hongjoong started getting the order ready as he hummed along with the song playing quietly in the background. He quickly completed the order and glanced around to make sure no one was needing to be helped before he located Seonghwa near the back of the cafe, away from the most of the noise.

The red haired barista picked up the mocha and the plate with the cake and fork in it before carrying it to Seonghwa’s table. He placed both pieces of glassware down and turned away to leave, expecting the other to not want to talk. Though, he froze when he heard the soft, melodic voice behind him.

“Thank you… You didn’t have to bring it to me.”

Maybe he wasn't as heartless as he appeared. Hongjoong went to answer, but the bell above the door rang, indicating a new customer had walked in. The red head settled for a soft smile and a bow before hurrying behind the counter and helping the new customer. 

A few moments passed where Hongjoong cleaned some tables before the bell over the door rang again. This time, the loud cacophony that accompanied the bell was unmistakable, and he barely had time to put down the bucket of dishes he had and brace himself before he felt himself get tackled and hugged by a giant frame, picked up and spun around as well.

“Hongjoong hyung!~”

“Mingi-yah!~ Please put me down and let me go~”

“But you’re so huggable and smol.”

Hongjoong laughed as he shook his head and feet planted back on solid ground. He placed his hands on Mingi’s arms, patting before slipping out from under them quickly. He whirled past the taller red head and his friends, picking up the bucket of dishes and whisking himself behind the counter safely.

“Yunho-yah, control your best friend. Hey, Wooyoungie. Do you guys want your usual?”

“Please, hyung.”

“Who’s paying this time, guys?”

“Mingi! He lost a bet.”

Hongjoong chuckled again as he disappeared into the kitchen to discard the bucket next to San before he returned to the register and tapped in the correct pricings and grabbed Mingi’s outstretched card. The barista tried not to chuckle at the grimace on Mingi’s face as he swiped the card and gave it back, failing as he giggled at Mingi’s forlorn look at his card.

“Get out of here, Min. I’ll bring your stuff to you.”

Mingi nodded and walked over to where Yunho and Wooyoung were. Hongjoong dimly noted as he fixed their order that they had sat with Seonghwa, and they were all socializing. He placed his friends’ orders on a tray and brought it over to them, handing the drinks and baked goods out with practiced ease. 

When he was done, he tucked the tray under his arm and kept a grip on the edge of the tray as he glanced at Mingi.

“Yeosang is in the back, but I’ll send him out when he’s done baking. San, too.”

He shifted his gaze onto Wooyoung with a soft smile and a slight nod. Then his gaze shifted to Yunho, soft curiosity and concern shining in his gaze.

“How’s your brother?”

“Jongho? He’s ok. He’s bored because the ankle injury hinders him from doing a lot like coming here because it’s a really big hassle.”

Hongjoong nodded and patted Yunho on the shoulder.

“Tell him he’s free to come back any time. I can find something for him to do without him moving too much. Maybe just have him sit at the register and take orders. There’s no rush, though. I told him he’s being given paid time off for as long as it’s needed.”

He gave Yunho one last comforting tap before bowing at the four of them and disappearing to continue his work after informing Yeosang and San that their boyfriends were in the cafe. Soon, the two rushed from the back and over to the group. Hongjoong watched with a fond gaze and a quiet chuckle before shaking his head and going back to clearing off and wiping tables.

The red head was so attuned to his work that he had not noticed the attempts at getting his attention by his friends. This also meant that he had not noticed the ravenette man approach him either, so when that deep, melodic voice sounded from right behind him, Hongjoong jumped. A small clatter sounded from the bin he was placing glassware into carefully, and he clutched at his chest as he whirled around with wide eyes while he tried to regain his breath. He noticed his friends snickering behind Seonghwa at his reaction, and he gave them the middle finger as he kept his attention on the male in front of him.

“Do you… Do you need some help? Your friends and I were supposed to be working on a project, but they’re… Distracted, and I deduced that you three are the only ones working. If they’re over there, then you’re working by yourself.”

Hongjoong blinked owlishly up at the ravenette, not expecting those words to tumble from his mouth before he shook himself out of it and cleared his throat with a nod.

“Uhm. Yeah, yeah. I would love the help. Yeosang and San like to slack off when their boyfriends are here. I actually need to replenish the baked goods since they should be cooled enough by now. Uhm… Follow me.”

Hongjoong picked up the bucket of glassware and walked into the kitchen with Seonghwa following behind. The shorter of the two avoided looking at his friends and put the bucket of dishes next to the sink. 

“Uhm… You can wash dishes while I cut the cake and stuff before bringing everything out front? Only if you want.”

With that, Hongjoong washed his hands and began to cut the delicacies that needed to be cut. He had tuned into his work and almost forgot Seonghwa was there until he heard the dishes clatter, quickly realizing Seonghwa was helping him with the dishes. He paused and cast a glance at the ravenette.

“Hey… What made you want to come help?”

Seonghwa paused as well and turned his head enough to look at Hongjoong from the corner of his eye, seemingly thinking about the response.

“Honestly, San and Yeosang seemed like they wouldn’t come back for a while, and it’s pretty busy out there. Besides, they all kind of pressured me into this…”

“Ah. The truth comes out. Yeah. They like to do that… Pressure you into stepping outside of your comfort zone. They try with me all the time, but I have a business to run. I’m not a college kid anymore.”

Hongjoong resumed his task, finishing up with the cutting quicker than he thought. Grabbing the appropriate icing, the red haired male started icing the cake before grabbing the piping bag and icing the cupcakes that were also set out to cool.

“Oh. You’re the owner of this place?”

“Yep. Created her from an empty building, designed the interior and made some of the paintings hung up, made some of our signature delicacies like the Aurora cake you had, and now here it is. Before you ask, I dropped out of college 2 and a half years ago. Yeosang was majoring in business even back then, and he helped advise me based on his knowledge since his dad is also a businessman.”

“That’s…”

“Delusional? I know, but it worked.”

“I was going to say admirable, actually.”

Hongjoong blinked and looked up at Seonghwa, pausing his piping to see the ravenette turned around and already staring at him. The look he was receiving made him flustered paired with the words, and he shifted on his feet, awkwardly glancing away.

“Uhm… Thanks, I guess. Not a lot of people see it that way. But who gives a shit about what society thinks anyway? It’s all just baseless opinions no one cares for yet conform to those opinions because they want to fit in. All because you get looked at weird and mocked for standing out.”

Hongjoong shrugged and returned to piping, finishing off with the cupcakes with a triumphant sound. He held up a finger to Seonghwa who was about to speak before he started toting the new trays of delicacies out to the front and placed in the right areas, making multiple trips to complete everything. 

Once everything was brought out, he returned to the kitchen to help Seonghwa wash the dishes. Though, he kept a careful ear out for the tap bell he has placed on the counter since he doubted Yeosang or San would man the front counter while he was in the kitchen covering them.

“Your words are poetic and stand true. I often hate the societal standpoint. We can do something about it, but we never do. It’s dumb.”

Hongjoong shrugged as he started drying off glassware, wanting to change the topic. He was thinking of something else to say when Seonghwa beat him to it, seemingly having read Hongjoong’s change correctly.

“Do you want to play 20 questions?”

“I guess.”

“How old are you?”

“Really? Such a basic question? I’m 22. How old are you?”

“Such a basic question. I’m also 22.”

Seonghwa had taken on a playful tone, clearly teasing the shorter male about what he said about the question first posed since he spit the question back at Seonghwa. Hongjoong just smirked and nudged Seonghwa with his shoulder as they finished with the dishes.

“Hey. You asked it first. Now go again.”

The two walked out and into the main part of the cafe, Hongjoong chuckling as he grabbed a couple disposable, takeout cups and filled one with water. He glanced over at Seonghwa questioningly to see if he wanted water, nodding when he received a nod for an answer and filled the other cup with water. The business was winding down, only a few tables still occupied. One of which was their friends.

Hongjoong walked over to a booth and sat down with a quiet sigh, happy to get off feet as Seonghwa slid in across from him. The barista tilted his head and placed one of the cups in front of the ravenette, a small smile playing on his face as he brought his cup to his lips and sipped it. He sunk into the booth cushions as he closed his eyes a few moments while Seonghwa took a sip of his own drink, but he opened his eyes once he heard Seonghwa’s next question. 

“What did you used to major in?”

Hongjoong snorted slightly and pointed to the painting hanging above the table they were sitting at.

“Art.”

The blink he got in response was one of disbelief as he glanced up at the painting and then to Hongjoong, which made the barista burst into giggles and hide his smile behind his hand.

“No way. This painting looks professionally done.”

“It’s a hobby of mine that I still continue. I switch the paintings out every few months and let the paintings be bought by customers who like them. Then I give some of the money to a charity and then put the rest to the cafe. I don’t keep a penny for myself.”

“That’s really selfless. Not many people would do that.”

Hongjoong shrugged once more and took another sip of his water, sneaking a glance at his friends. They were not so subtly watching the two of them, and Hongjoong got the sneaking suspicion that they set the two up, hoping they would eventually date. The thought caused Hongjoong to chuckle and glance at Seonghwa, leaning forward slightly as he lowered his voice, which caused Seonghwa to do the same.

“How much do you wanna bet that those knuckleheads pushed you to talk to me hoping that eventually we would date?”

“Does this count as a question?”

“No. Not at all. Just an observation needing an opinion.”

“Then I would concede your point. They are blatantly staring at us, aren’t they?”

“They are.”

The two shared a quiet laugh before leaning back, and Hongjoong leaned his head on the wall next to him before continuing the game. The two posed questions to get to know each other until Seonghwa posed his second to last question that took Hongjoong aback.

“Can I have your phone number?”

“Wh- Uhm… Sure?”

Hongjoong grabbed a napkin before producing a pen from his apron and writing his number and sliding the napkin over to Seonghwa. Then the barista slid the pen back to where it was supposed to go as he asked his own question.

“Why do you need my number?”

“To take you out eventually, of course.”

Hongjoong spluttered into his cup since he had unfortunately taken one last sip of his water at that exact point, and he coughed as he stared at Seonghwa with wide eyes.

“Last question. Can I take you out on a date, Hongjoong?”

Hongjoong felt a blush creep up on him as he stared, the question slowly processing itself in his mind before he let out something that sounded like a surprised squeak and hid his face when the question finished processing.

“Sure. Why do you want to?”

“Your friends talk an awful lot about you, and you seem my type.”

Seonghwa slid out of the booth with a sly smirk and a wink at Hongjoong before returning to the table with five rowdy boys. The barista sat there a few more moments in disbelief before picking up both of their cups, and he stood up from his seat, scrambling to the counter and throwing away their cups as a new customer entered. 

Damn. That Seonghwa was smooth. Now he couldn’t wait for their first date.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/5tarspromise) and [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/5tarspromise)!


End file.
